[Commlist] New book: The Condition of Digitally: A Post-Modern Marxism for the Practice of Digital Life

New book
The Condition of Digitally: A Post-Modern Marxism for the Practice of 
Digital Life
Robert Hassan


David Harvey’s ‘The Condition of Postmodernity’ rationalised 
capitalism’s transformation during an extraordinary year: 1989. It gave 
theoretical expression to a material and cultural reality that was just 
then getting properly started – globalisation and postmodernity – whilst 
highlighting the geo-spatial limits to accumulation imposed by our planet.


However this landmark publication, author Robert Hassan argues, did not 
address the arrival of digital technology, the quantum leap represented 
by the move from an analogue world to a digital economy and the rapid 
creation of a global networked society. Considering first the contexts 
of 1989 and Harvey’s work, then the idea of humans as analogue beings he 
argues this arising new human condition of digitality leads to 
alienation not only from technology but also the environment. This 
condition he suggests, is not an ideology of time and space but a 
reality stressing that Harvey’s time-space compression takes on new 
features including those of ‘outward’ and ‘inward’ globalisation and the 
commodification of all spheres of existence.


Lastly the author considers culture’s role drawing on Rahel Jaeggi’s 
theories to make the case for a post-modern Marxism attuned to the most 
significant issue of our age. Stimulating and theoretically wide-ranging 
‘The Condition of Digitality’ recognises post-modernity’s radical new 
form as a reality and the urgent need to assert  more democratic control 
over digitality.


Contents
1. Introduction: A World That Has Changed, But Has Not Changed
2. 1989: David Harvey’s ‘Postmodernity’: The Space Economy of Late 
Capitalism.

3. From Analogue to Digital: Theorising the Transition

4. The Condition of Digitality: A New Perspective on Time and Space
5. Economy of Digitality: Limitless Virtual Space and Network Time
6. The Culture of Digitality

7. Digital Alienation
Index


Author

Robert Hassan researches and teaches at the University of Melbourne and 
is the author, co-author or editor of numerous monographs and books on 
topics such as time, new media theory, politics and the philosophy of 
media. His recent works include ‘Uncontained: Digital Connection and the 
Experience of Time’ (2019) and ‘The Information Society: Cyber Dreams 
and Digital Nightmares’ (2017). Since 2009 he has been Editor-in-Chief 
of the journal Time & Society.


Format

212 pages 229 x 152mm


Open Access

PDF, ePub and kindle versions available free from 
uwestminsterpress.co.uk/site books:

PDF 978-1-912656-68-4

ePub 978-1-912656-69-1

Kindle 978-1-912656-70-7

DOI: 10.16997/book44


Paperback  978-1-912656-67-7

UK  £20.99
US  $24.99

EUR €22.90

CAN $32.99

AUS $34.99


Subject

Media Theory| Communication Studies| Digital Media | Cultural Studies


Published open access by the University of Westminster Press

https//www.uwestminsterpress.co.uk/site/books/10.16997/book44

Published 10 January 2020


This book is published in the Critical Digital and Social Media Studies 
Series

https//www.uwestminsterpress.co.uk/site/books/series/critical-digital-and-social-media-studies


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